Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Dahlia variabilis cultivar Patricia.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Dahlia plant, botanically known as Dahlia variabilis, commercially referred to as a pot-type Dahlia, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name xe2x80x98Patriciaxe2x80x99.
The new Dahlia is a naturally-occurring branch sport of the Dahlia cultivar Connie, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,768. The new Dahlia was discovered by the Inventor in a controlled environment in Arroyo Grande, Calif. in April, 1997.
Asexual reproduction of the new Dahlia by stem cuttings was first conducted in Arroyo Grande, Calif. in 1997. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Dahlia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Patricia has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and daylength, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Patriciaxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Patriciaxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct pot-type Dahlia:
1. Upright plant habit.
2. Freely branching habit.
3. Semi-double type inflorescences.
4. Light orange and red bi-colored ray florets.
Plants of the new Dahlia differ from plants of the parent, the cultivar Connie, primarily in ray floret coloration as plants of the cultivar Connie have bright orange red-colored ray florets.
Plants of the new Dahlia can be compared to plants of the Dahlia cultivar Margaret, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,769. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in West Chicago, Ill., plants of the new Dahlia had larger leaves and were more freely branching than plants of the cultivar Margaret. In addition, plants of the new Dahlia and the cultivar Margaret differed in ray floret color as plants of the cultivar Margaret had bright yellow-colored ray florets.